The Houston Dash dropped their fourth straight loss by a 1-0 scoreline in a match against FC Kansas City at BBVA Compass Stadium on Sunday night.
FC Kansas City captain Becky Sauerbrunn placed a header into the net in the 80th minute to give FC Kansas City just their second win of the 2016 season. The Dash controlled the early portions of the match and delivered several crosses into the box, but were unable to redirect them on frame to challenge FCKC goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart.
The first clear chance of the night came from defender Allysha Chapman in the 53rd minute. Forward Janine Beckie layed off a pass 35 yards from goal after a partial clearance on a corner kick, and Chapman unleashed a shot that dipped over the hand of Barnhart but bounced off the top of the crossbar.
Dash forward Rachel Daly, who arrived in Houston just a day prior after visa issues kept her in the United Kingdom after her international duty, came on as a substitute in the 63rd minute and hit the post herself just three minutes later. A shot from Beckie was deflected and fell to Daly running in the box, and she took a left-footed shot that clanged off the post.
FCKC rattled the woodwork themselves in the 72nd minute. Heather O'Reilly picked up a pass 22 yards from goal and tried to pick out the upper 90. The shot hit off the underside of the crossbar, hit the ground, then went off the back of a diving Lydia Williams, yet stayed out of the goal.
Kansas City took the lead eight minutes later. O'Reilly played a corner kick to the back post that was headed back towards the middle of the box from the endline by Shea Groom. The ball fell to Yael Averbuch for a volley attempt that hit Daly in the head and deflected in the air to Sauerbrunn near the penalty spot. With Williams out of position from the previous shot, Sauerbrunn picked out a header to the far post for her first of the season.
The Dash pushed in the final 10 minutes plus stoppage time to find an equalizer, but a header by Denise O'Sullivan off a corner kick fell wide of the post and a long-distance shot by substitute Amber Brooks blazed just over the goal.
Houston next travels to Orlando to face the Pride on Thursday at Camping World Stadium. FC Kansas City returns home on Saturday to play host to Seattle Reign FC.
